Positivity

A huge benefit of working at the bookstore is checking out books ---- and I do! My latest read is "Positivity" by Barbara Frederickson. I've only read a few chapters and have already noticed positive changes in myself.

Some people say they don't have time to read or don't feel the need or have the desire. I crave reading. At work I'm like 'a kid in a candy store' just waiting to 'taste' the next flavor.

When I read books from the Personal Growth section I am acquiring the knowledge of professionals who have years and years of training and experience. All I have to do is invest time reading their books and I benefit from all their education and work. Human behavior has always intrigued me so that's what I read about most. In the past I've purchased MANY 'self-help' books but never finish them. Knowing that I have to take one back before I can check out another pushes me to read faster. I just can't learn enough fast enough.

So this evening (early a.m.) I did some stretching to meditative music ---- I haven't been to yoga class in months ---- and hopefully that can become a habit for me. Stretching always feels so good. Child's pose is a great way to keep my legs flexible. Before I started practicing yoga I could not kneel in church. Now I can fold up just like the woman in this photo from Yoga Journal's website. (Hopefully it is ok to use the photo --- I do have a subscription to the magazine.)

Back to the book: capturing the good feelings we have when we're feeling positive is part of growing into more positive people. One of my favorite positive 'places' to return to is my bedroom. It is upstairs in the southwest corner our 1922 American Foursquare. The south wall has a bay shape and our bed sits between two slanted walls w/ windows and underneath the middle window. When it is cool enough to have the windows open the breeze that crosses the room is so sweet and comforting. I love the sounds of the wind in the trees that are just outside the windows and the train whistles (we live in a 'train' town --- NEVER stop on the tracks). At certain times of the day the room just glows. In 2004 we lost a lot of very large trees to hurricanes. I suppose "the gift" is now that glow of sunshine in the afternoons.